Petfinder » Lisa, Petfinder Foundation executive directorhttps://www.petfinder.com
Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on PetfinderFri, 31 Jul 2015 11:30:51 +0000en-UShourly1How you have helped shelters win!https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/02/how-you-have-helped-shelters-win/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/02/how-you-have-helped-shelters-win/#commentsTue, 05 Feb 2013 12:30:19 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=5961The Animal Rescue Site’s Shelter+ Challenge is back with even more opportunities for shelters and rescue groups to win: more than 200 prizes and $100,000 to be given away between now and April. Already some great groups are opening up their mail to find checks and letters from us! And …

Already some great groups are opening up their mail to find checks and letters from us! And there’s plenty more to come.

The Petfinder Foundation is extremely grateful to The Animal Rescue Site for funding the challenge every year since 2008. More than $1 million in grants have helped hundreds of shelters and rescue groups, chosen by your votes, better care for homeless pets. The Shelter+ Challenge is an incredible opportunity for so many organizations to earn funds, involve their online supporters and get the word out about what they do in their communities.

Above all, voting in the challenge is fair. Some organizations, unfortunately, have tried to game the system by emailing their supporters with ways to get around the contest’s one-vote-per-day limit. But deleting cookies or refreshing your browser won’t give your group more votes — and neither will any other “secret, surefire” methods. The contest comes with all types of safeguards to ensure that only legitimate votes are counted, and efforts to cheat only damage an organization’s reputation.

Make sure to vote online now for your favorite shelter or rescue group. There are over $100,000 in prizes to be awarded and your vote can make a difference!

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/02/how-you-have-helped-shelters-win/feed/0What Dogs Are Prone to Incontinence?Like us, dogs tend to have less bladder control as they age, but some dogs are more prone to urinary incontinence than others. Find out what dogs are the most prone to incontinence here.We’re celebrating 10 years of helping homeless pets!https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/01/were-celebrating-10-years-of-helping-homeless-pets/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/01/were-celebrating-10-years-of-helping-homeless-pets/#commentsFri, 18 Jan 2013 19:30:58 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=5652As we ring in 2013, the Petfinder Foundation is celebrating 10 years of helping homeless pets! In 2003, the Petfinder Foundation was founded as a way to change lives, not only for homeless pets, but also for the people who care for them. Our mission is to ensure that no adoptable …

Sprokett‘s life was saved thanks to a grant from the Petfinder Foundation.

As we ring in 2013, the Petfinder Foundation is celebrating 10 years of helping homeless pets! In 2003, the Petfinder Foundation was founded as a way to change lives, not only for homeless pets, but also for the people who care for them. Our mission is to ensure that no adoptable pet is euthanized for lack of a good home.

In the beginning, we focused on helping shelters recover from natural disasters, and gave more than $1 million in cash and product to help pets affected by Hurricane Katrina. We continue to be there for shelters in times of disaster, and we’re awarding more than $1 million in cash and product grants to shelters and rescue groups hit by Hurricane Sandy.

Since 2003, we’ve given more than $20 million to animal welfare organizations, helping them prepare for and recover from disaster, make their operations more sustainable and save lives through adoptions. Today, our grant programs provide funds for dog and cat vaccinations, spay/neuter, transport, community service, adoption and training.

As we begin our 10-Year Anniversary celebration, we would like to thank everyone who has helped us help homeless pets. To our corporate partners and the individuals who donate their money and their time, THANK YOU! We look forward to helping hundreds of thousands of homeless pets in 2013!

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/01/were-celebrating-10-years-of-helping-homeless-pets/feed/0Sample Radio PSAs – Promoting Your Pets on PetfinderIf you want to promote your adoptable pets on Petfinder, check out these sample radio PSAs that you can sumbit to your local radio station.donate.jpgWe’re giving shelter pets toys – and training – for Christmashttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/12/were-giving-shelter-pets-toys-and-training-for-christmas/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/12/were-giving-shelter-pets-toys-and-training-for-christmas/#commentsFri, 21 Dec 2012 20:21:38 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=5518What does a shelter dog want for Christmas — or any day of the year? A new trick to learn; a fun toy to play with. And our grants provide both: Train to Adopt helps shelters teach adoptable dogs basic social skills, and we’ve given more than $7,000 in enrichment …

Elizabeth fills Kongs with canned food and peanut butter (left), then gives them to the dogs at the shelter.

What does a shelter dog want for Christmas — or any day of the year? A new trick to learn; a fun toy to play with. And our grants provide both: Train to Adopt helps shelters teach adoptable dogs basic social skills, and we’ve given more than $7,000 in enrichment toys from our friends at KONG to 10 shelters over the past two years.

We were recently reminded of how much these gifts mean to homeless dogs when we received this email from Elizabeth Richardson, a longtime volunteer at Train to Adopt shelter Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control in Charlotte, NC:

“This morning, long before dawn, I turned on the Christmas tree lights and sat in silence. Mia, my dear old Border Collie, sat close to me, as she does every morning during quiet time, staring and making sure I sit in my appointed place. Then Artie came and laid down with us. Artie is an older Chocolate Lab, but she does not sit still very often.

“The three of us sat on the floor for quite a while, and my gaze fell on the Christmas tree, which has only a couple of gifts beneath it. I prefer not to buy into December’s shopping frenzy. Yet I could not quit thinking about gifts, the furry kind with four legs. What gifts dogs are! I would rather have the company of a couple of dogs than a thousand fancily wrapped presents under the tree.

“My thoughts shifted to the dogs at our shelter, beautiful dogs waiting for someone to come along and see them. I wanted to jump up, drive quickly to shelter and tell all the dogs how good they are. And bring them gifts. I will do that later today. I will give them the gift of love, made evident in a KONG stuffed with canned food and peanut butter.

“For a little while, the shelter dogs can enjoy some peace and quiet, like Artie and Mia and I did this morning. And maybe, in those quiet moments, a good person or two will walk in and see the beauty of these dogs, and give them the gift of loving homes.

“For the dogs at Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control, more gifts are coming, from Karen Owens, our fabulous trainer, and all the volunteers she has engaged in our Train to Adopt program. What a gift the Train to Adopt program is, bringing Karen, and hundreds of KONGs, and so many positive activities, enormously lessening the stress of kennel life.

“December 21st is the day of the year that stays dark the longest, but into this darkness, gifts of light and love will shine. I remain deeply grateful to the Petfinder Foundation, the KONG company and every person who continues to make our Train the Adopt program the gift that it is to our shelter dogs.”

All of us at the Petfinder Foundation are thrilled to be part of a program that brings such joy to homeless pets. We hope all of you will enjoy a wonderful holiday season with your family, both two-legged and four! And if you are still looking for the perfect gift, think about giving the Gift of Hope. There is no better gift than knowing you have helped a homeless pet!

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/12/were-giving-shelter-pets-toys-and-training-for-christmas/feed/0Taking a Bite Out of Canine ArthritisOsteoarthritis is a disorder characterized by a loss of cartilage and the death of cartilage-producing cells. Learn about pain relief, joint repair, and other options to treat osteoarthritis here.donate.jpgHere are 10 easy ways to help homeless pets!https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/12/here-are-10-easy-ways-to-help-homeless-pets/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/12/here-are-10-easy-ways-to-help-homeless-pets/#commentsSat, 15 Dec 2012 20:00:11 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=5295Want to help homeless pets this holiday season but don’t have much time? Here are 10 fast and easy (and, in many cases, FREE) ways you can make a difference through the Petfinder Foundation. Give of Gift of Hope. When you make a donation in honor of a loved one …

Give of Gift of Hope. When you make a donation in honor of a loved one this holiday season, he or she will receive a personalized card announcing the gift by Dec. 25. Donate $50 or more and we’ll also send him or her a special gift. (Find out more.) Donate by Dec. 17 to ensure delivery by Christmas Day.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/12/here-are-10-easy-ways-to-help-homeless-pets/feed/0Pet Microchip FAQsHave questions about pet microchips? Read these FAQs that might help.Remembering my best friendhttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/11/remembering-my-best-friend/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/11/remembering-my-best-friend/#commentsWed, 21 Nov 2012 17:00:55 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=4889When I adopted my Boxer–Lab mix, Luckie Boy, eight years ago, I had no idea the kind of true love that I would be given. I quickly found out how tossing a ball and running in the park with my new furry friend could be the best time spent. A …

]]>When I adopted my Boxer–Lab mix, Luckie Boy, eight years ago, I had no idea the kind of true love that I would be given. I quickly found out how tossing a ball and running in the park with my new furry friend could be the best time spent.

Luckie Boy was a great dog.

A few months ago, Luckie developed a bone tumor in his nasal cavity. The news completely devastated my family. Over the next few months, the tumor grew — it created a bump on his head that got bigger as the days went on. His breathing became heavy and he started getting nosebleeds.

His personality changed too; he became withdrawn. This week we made the hard choice to put him to sleep. While the decision was hard, I find comfort knowing that we gave him a wonderful life and that he blessed my life with true unconditional love.

As we move forward as a one-dog family (although I don’t think that will last long — our five-year-old Lab, Scarlett, seems lonely and has been looking for Luckie), I am truly touched by the support of our friends and family.

People have given us flowers and cards, and made donations in Luckie’s memory. I’m reminded how many lives my little black dog touched. I’m also reminded what a great way a donation is to honor a pet’s life.

At the Petfinder Foundation, we often receive donations in memory of loved ones, two-legged or four. Like all the funds we receive, they go exclusively into programs that provide direct care to homeless pets across the country. Improving the lives of pets still waiting for their forever homes is a wonderful way to honor a life that has blessed yours.

To make a donation in memory of a loved one for whom you’re thankful today, click here.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/11/remembering-my-best-friend/feed/0Spay-Neuter Glossary of TermsCheck out this glossary of terms in relation to spaying and neutering.donate.jpgPetfinder Foundation helps with Hurricane Sandyhttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/10/petfinder-foundation-helps-with-hurricane-sandy/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/10/petfinder-foundation-helps-with-hurricane-sandy/#commentsTue, 30 Oct 2012 21:42:38 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=3946The Petfinder Foundation has always been concerned with the safety of homeless pets when a disaster hits. Hurricane Sandy is no exception. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the Frankenstorm including our fuzzy friends. At this time, the Foundation is preparing to help Petfinder members in a variety …

]]>The Petfinder Foundation has always been concerned with the safety of homeless pets when a disaster hits. Hurricane Sandy is no exception. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the Frankenstorm including our fuzzy friends. At this time, the Foundation is preparing to help Petfinder members in a variety of ways, including providing disaster relief grants, assistance with transport of homeless pets to safer areas and providing education and care to those who need it.

Here are some of the ways that we are helping:

The Petfinder Foundation IFAW truck prepares for recovery efforts.

The Petfinder Foundation partnered with International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to fund a recovery and disaster vehicle. The truck has proven to be helpful in a variety of ways when a storm hits. Often the PFF truck is loaded up with supplies like food, medical equipment and crates to help homeless pets affected by a storm. Once deployed the truck provides additional assistance by transporting homeless dogs out of the disaster area to a safer environment where they are better able to find their forever home. Currently, the Petfinder Foundation rig is loaded up with boats and water rescue gear in preparation for water support of the devastated areas. The truck is also prepared with sheltering supplies to make sure to address whatever unmet animal needs there might be following the storm.

The Petfinder Foundation partners with National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition (NARSC) to address specific needs when disaster hits. As there is a great need with Hurricane Sandy, we are actively working with our NARSC partners to ensure that proper procedures are followed and that organizations are working as a team to bring the best support to affected shelters and rescue groups.

Hurricanes and other disasters can devastate animal rescue and shelter organizations. The Petfinder Foundation oversees a Disaster Fund to help pets and animal welfare organizations when natural or man-made disaster hits a community. We are currently accepting applications from Petfinder members who were hit by Hurricane Sandy. We have already received several applications and are reaching out to groups to award disaster grants and help them through this troubling time.

As we move forward with recovery efforts, the entire Petfinder Foundation would like to personally thank all the shelter and rescue groups staff and volunteers for their time and effort to help save the lives of homeless pets.

To support the Petfinder Foundation Disaster and other programs, donate here.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/10/petfinder-foundation-helps-with-hurricane-sandy/feed/0What is a Veterinary Behaviorist?Veterinary behaviorists are veterinarians with a special interest in animal behavior. Learn more about their education and what they do here.Katherine Heigl helps the Petfinder Foundation fight kennel coughhttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/05/katherine_heigl_petfinder_foun/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/05/katherine_heigl_petfinder_foun/#commentsThu, 10 May 2012 14:22:03 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=998Katherine Heigl’s Jason Debus Heigl Foundation and the Petfinder Foundation have awarded San Bernardino City Animal Control $7,000 to vaccinate shelter dogs against bordetella, often called kennel cough. Photo courtesy of the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation “We are very pleased to work with the Petfinder Foundation in our common mission …

“We are very pleased to work with the Petfinder Foundation in our common
mission to improve the lives of homeless pets,” Heigl says.
“The Petfinder Foundation’s
generous grant to San Bernardino Animal Control is a lifesaver because
vaccinations are vital for shelter pets’ health.”

San Bernardino City Animal Control takes in about 900 dogs and puppies a month, but only adopts out about 200, due in part to disease. The bordetella grant will dramatically impact those numbers.

“To give a dog a chance at finding a forever
home is our ultimate goal,” says Ryan Long, a kennel supervisor and registered vet tech at the shelter. “[The vaccination grant] provides the animals at
our shelter a much better chance for a happier and healthier life.
Reducing or even eliminating the outbreaks of bordetella in the shelter
also helps in reducing our euthanasia rate, because those [healthy] animals are
more likely to be adopted.”

After the jump: Learn more about Katherine Heigl’s mission to help pets — and fight balls (and watch her hilarious “I Hate Balls” PSA video).

Heigl and her mother, Nancy, are passionate about pets and understand the challenges faced by municipal animal shelters. Together they founded the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation to improve the lives of pets by funding spay/neuter surgeries, helping rescue organizations and transporting shelter pets to regions where they have greater odds of finding homes.

In November, the Heigl Foundation launched the “I Hate Balls” campaign to promote spaying
and neutering pets. The hilarious PSA video has had more than a million views on FunnyorDie.com (watch it below) and was followed by a “Behind the Scenes” video on Funny or Die and a website, ihateballs.com. Check them out for an unconventional take on a serious subject.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/05/katherine_heigl_petfinder_foun/feed/0heigl.jpgBookmark and ShareJoin our Twitter party to celebrate beds for shelter pets!https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/04/warm_bellies_initiative_twitte/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/04/warm_bellies_initiative_twitte/#commentsMon, 02 Apr 2012 17:12:06 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=971The Petfinder Foundation has partnered with luxury dog-bed retailer P.L.A.Y. (Pet Lifestyle and You) to give homeless pets warm places to sleep. Through its Warm Bellies Initiative, P.L.A.Y. will donate a Special Edition Chill Pad to a dog in need for every Artist or Original Collection pet bed purchased on …

To celebrate, on April 3 from 7-8:30 p.m. ET, P.L.A.Y. is hosting its very first
#WarmBellies Twitter party, and the Petfinder Foundation will be on hand
to answer adoption questions!

Also joining the party are dog trainer and Animal Planet personality Andrea Arden and pet
fashion stylist Dara Foster of PupStyle.com. And prizes including Petfinder Foundation shirts and P.L.A.Y. pet beds will be given to participants every 5-10 minutes!

After the jump: Do shelter pets like their P.L.A.Y. beds? Hear from a Warm Bellies grant recipient!

How much do shelter pets appreciate the Warm Bellies Initiative? Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA, was recently awarded 20 Chill Pads, and NEAS development director Laurie McCannon tells us: “The pets loved the beds when we distributed them and began to snuggle up with them right away!”

Check out adoptable dog Ernie, who found great comfort in the specially designed Chill Pad, above. Once adopted, Ernie will be sent home with his Chill Pad.

To learn more about the Petfinder Foundation and programs like the Warm Bellies Initiative visit the Petfinder Foundation.

About P.L.A.Y.: P.L.A.Y. is a young San Francisco-based company working to redefine the
pet bed experience. Committed to helping animals in need, P.L.A.Y. joins
the Petfinder Foundation in the belief that every pet deserves a
warm and cozy place to sleep. Through our partnership, shelters across
the country will be receiving Special Edition Chill Pads via the
Warm Bellies Initiative, to help homeless dogs keep warm while
they await forever homes.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/04/warm_bellies_initiative_twitte/feed/0Ernie-1.jpgBookmark and ShareDisaster update: After a tornado, a Missouri shelter’s intake numbers skyrockethttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/03/petfindercom_foundation_assist/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/03/petfindercom_foundation_assist/#commentsMon, 12 Mar 2012 08:00:08 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=963Over 17 million people were affected by the recent severe tornado outbreaks in the South and Midwest. Petfinder.com and the Petfinder.com Foundation are working together to reach out to shelters and rescue groups in the impacted areas and provide assistance. Extra kennels were bought with the financial assistance of the …

Extra kennels were bought with the financial assistance of the Petfinder.com Foundation grant.

One Petfinder.com member shelter, Taney County Animal Control in Hollister, MO, received a Petfinder.com Foundation disaster relief grant totaling $10,000. While the tornado that hit Taney County missed the shelter, the group is now operating as an emergency shelter, taking on higher numbers of stray and displaced pets while the community recovers from the disaster. Sherry Simpson, animal control supervisor for Taney County Animal
Control reports that the shelter, which usually takes in about 50 pets a
month is taking in anywhere from 20 to 25 a day.

“The support from the Petfinder.com Foundation has been a tremendous
help to the animal control rescue and recovery efforts following the
storm and is greatly appreciated,” Sherry says. “As a result of the
disaster, we have seen a significant increase in animals needing medical
assistance, sheltering and food. Because of this grant, we can provide
better assistance to the four legged victims of the tornadoes.”

The
Petfinder.com Foundation continues daily to assist the furry victims of
the Southern and Midwest tornadoes. So far, the Petfinder.com Foundation has received ten disaster grant
applications from nearby shelters and rescue groups and we are assessing each to make sure adequate support is provided to
communities in need. (Donate to help.)

Petfinder.com members in need of disaster assistance from the Southern tornadoes, click here for a disaster grant application.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/03/petfindercom_foundation_assist/feed/0taney.jpgBookmark and ShareNeed a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift?https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/02/valentines_day_petfinder_found/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/02/valentines_day_petfinder_found/#commentsTue, 14 Feb 2012 12:10:54 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=939Do you have a pet lover in your life? Give him or her a special Gift of Love this year by donating to the Petfinder.com Foundation. Best of all, throughout 2012, all donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Orvis (up to $30,000 in matching funds)! Boxer puppy Bryn found her …

]]>Do you have a pet lover in your life? Give him or her a special Gift of Love this year by donating to the Petfinder.com Foundation. Best of all, throughout 2012, all donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Orvis (up to $30,000 in matching funds)!

Boxer puppy Bryn found her forever home thanks to a transport grant.

Your donation will benefit homeless pets nationwide like Bryn, a 6-week-old Boxer mix who found her forever home thanks to a transport grant from the Petfinder.com Foundation and our partner, Bissell.

The grant, awarded to the Humane Society of Jefferson County in Tennessee, allowed the shelter to transport 72 dogs to less-crowded shelters in three months, giving those dogs a better opportunity to be adopted.

Humane Society of Jefferson County shelter manager Melissa Enck wrote us: “I wanted to say how much this has helped us out. More rescues are working with us, the vets are cutting us great deals on the animals going out and the public once again is supporting us! Our euthanasia rate is the lowest it’s ever been. For the first time we have a functional transport fund! Thank you so much; this has really saved a lot of pets and will continue to do so.”

Your gift will help us continue to our work of saving homeless pets nationwide. Plus, if you make your donation by 5 p.m. ET, your loved one will receive an email TODAY with photos and details about how your gift will go to good use. (Make sure to include the recipient’s email address at checkout.)

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Petfinder.com Foundation. Thank you for all you do in the name of puppy love!